Fodor's may use your email address to send you relevant information on site updates, account changes, and offers. For more information about your privacy and protection, please review our full Privacy Policy.

Directions - Garden State Parkway to Tappan Zee Bridge and north

I can drive this route in my sleep - which is a problem as I try to give me sister directions (she states she gets lost everytime she does this route)

So give me some help (exit numbers, landmarks, etc)

Route I want is Garden State Parkway to Tappan Zee Bridge then 684 (or is it 687), 287, to 84 thru Connecticut - I can handle the rest to Boston area. I know that signage north of Tappan Zee Bridge is not the best. Thanks.

Go to the website, click on "Directions", type you starting location and destination in the appropriate boxes, click "GO" and voila you'll get both a map and detailed directions, including route numbers, highway exit numbers, mileage between "points" and estimated driving time.

Thanks - the issue with mapquest, yahoo, etc is that none of them like this route - they all want to send a person over GW Bridge or if you fool them into Tappan Zee then they like Rte 15 and/or 91. I know I can exclude specific highways, piece together my desired route, I was just hoping to avoid doing that.

1 Here is the easiest way to go because you skip the Tappan Zee bridge and Westchester County:
Take the Garden State to 87 (New York State Thruway). Go north on the Thruway. Get off Exit 17 and follow the signs to 84 east. That skips all kinds of potential headaches on the Tappan Zee bridge and on 287. You'll be going over the Newburgh Beacon bridge instead of the Tappan Zee.

2. If you want to go over the Tappan zee bridge, you have two ways of going.
A. When you get over the Tappan Zee bridge, follow the signs to the Saw Mill North. (I think it's the second exit after you cross the bridge. I don't think the exit is numbered and the signs are a little confusing because they reference the Saw Mill and Route 119. Stay north on the Saw Mill. The Saw Mill ends in Northern Westchester and leads into 684.
B. Otherwise, when you go over the Tappan Zee bridge, stay on 287 (Cross Westchester). You have to drive past all the White Plains exits. Then take the exit for 684. I think it's exit 9-A. The signs are well marked. Go north on 684. As 684 ends around Brewster, you will take 84 heading east.

You exit right off the Parkway then the ramp forks - left fork goes to I-87 toward Tappan Zee Bridge - the right fork goes to local streets. Really, it is very difficult to miss the road leading to I-87.

Vincenzo's directions certainly work, but because of local traffic issues, it is normally better to approach Norwood, Dedham, etc from Providence on 95 rather than from the MassPike.

When I lived in Norwood and then Milton, I took the Tappan Zee and 287 to the Merritt Parkway and got off to rejoin I-95 at Milford, CT. There are a few slow stretches until New Haven, then 91 sucks the majority of traffic north to Hartford, and you can usually enjoy a fairly pleasant ride on 95 all the way to Norwood.